[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 33 (Tuesday, March 9, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H1188-H1190]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           EXPRESSING CONDOLENCES TO CHILE EARTHQUAKE VICTIMS

  Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules 
and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1144) expressing condolences to 
the families of the victims of the February 27, 2010, earthquake in 
Chile, as well as solidarity with and support for the people of Chile 
as they plan for recovery and reconstruction.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 1144

       Whereas, on February 27, 2010, an 8.8 magnitude earthquake, 
     one of the largest ever recorded, struck off the coast of 
     Chile;
       Whereas casualty estimates, which number in the hundreds 
     and continue to grow, as well as the destruction of entire 
     coastal villages and extensive damage to highways, bridges, 
     apartments, and infrastructure, have led to the Government of 
     Chile's declaration of a ``state of catastrophe'';
       Whereas an estimated 2,000,000 people, including upwards of 
     1,500,000 displaced persons, have been directly affected by 
     the earthquake, the tsunami, and its aftermath;
       Whereas aftershocks numbering over 100, including 8 
     aftershocks registering above a 6.0 magnitude, continue to 
     affect the coast and the rest of the country after the 
     initial 120-second tremor, the strongest and most damaging 
     earthquake in Chile in the last 50 years;
       Whereas Chile had already overcome the trials of more than 
     a dozen previous 7.0-magnitude or greater earthquakes since 
     the 1960 Valdivia 9.5-magnitude quake, the largest ever 
     measured, which left thousands dead;
       Whereas the tsunami caused by the earthquake, which came 
     shortly after, with waves measuring over 19 feet, slammed 124 
     miles of Chile's coast and accounted for a significant 
     percentage of the casualties and missing;
       Whereas the threat of potential tsunamis across the ``Ring 
     of Fire'' earthquake area prompted warnings and advisories 
     issued from Hawaii to as far as the California coast and 
     Alaska;
       Whereas according to the United States Geological Survey 
     (USGS), Concepcion, Chile's second largest city, was 70 miles 
     from the earthquake's epicenter and suffered some of the 
     worst damage, and its hundreds of thousands of residents 
     initially remained largely cut off from the remainder of the 
     country without many basic necessities, including running 
     water and electricity;
       Whereas the coastal town of Dichato and its 4,000 residents 
     were among the hardest hit, and is reportedly 80 percent 
     destroyed;
       Whereas 80 percent of Talcahuano's 180,000 residents living 
     on the Chilean coast were left homeless by the earthquake;
       Whereas initial estimates of the damage costs range from 
     $15,000,000,000 to $30,000,000,000;
       Whereas basic necessities across the country, including 
     electricity, clean water access, telephone access, and 
     communication systems, continue to be restored on a 
     progressive basis in many zones;
       Whereas the Government of Chile continues to deliver aid to 
     affected citizens to the best of its ability, including 
     airlifting supplies to remote towns;
       Whereas the Government of Chile has taken significant 
     measures to maintain order and public security in the streets 
     to prevent more widespread panic and chaos as damage 
     assessments are made and relief is delivered;
       Whereas Chile is a political and economic leader and a 
     close ally of the United States in Latin America;
       Whereas the people and Government of Chile have stood 
     resolute and steadfast in the face of a long history of 
     destructive earthquakes;
       Whereas Chile's stringent building codes, which one local 
     architect called ``our proud building standards'', as well as 
     the Government of Chile's ability to implement them, greatly 
     mitigated the impact of this catastrophic natural event both 
     in terms of casualties and physical damage to the 
     infrastructure of the country;
       Whereas Chile showed its deep generosity and responsibility 
     as a regional ally when it deployed Chilean earthquake rescue 
     teams, which Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has 
     described as among the best in the world, to Haiti following 
     its devastating earthquake earlier this year;
       Whereas these search and rescue teams continue to work 
     tirelessly to save more lives from collapsed buildings and 
     neighborhoods struck by the earthquake in Chile;
       Whereas several international urban search and rescue teams 
     remain prepared to deploy to Chile if the need arises;
       Whereas sitting Chilean President Michelle Bachelet 
     declared the natural disaster ``a catastrophe of such 
     unthinkable magnitude that it will require a giant effort to 
     recover'';
       Whereas incoming Chilean President Sebastian Pinera, to be 
     sworn in March 11, 2010, expressed that ``The future 
     government is working tirelessly and will continue to 
     confront the emergency that Pres. Bachelet is facing, because 
     the emergency will not be

[[Page H1189]]

     over in five days. We are set to tackle something even more 
     difficult, which is to lift Chile up, to reconstruct our 
     country'';
       Whereas President Obama declared that the United States 
     ``stands ready to assist in the rescue and recovery efforts 
     and we have resources that are positioned to deploy should 
     the Chilean government ask for our help.'';
       Whereas Secretary Clinton visited Chile on March 2, 2010, 
     delivering crucial communication equipment, and vowed that 
     ``We'll be here to help when others leave because we are 
     committed to this partnership and this friendship with 
     Chile.''; and
       Whereas the world stands ready to swiftly aid those 
     affected by this epic natural disaster: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) mourns the significant loss of life, as well as the 
     physical damage, caused by the February 27, 2010, earthquake 
     and resulting tsunami in Chile;
       (2) expresses its deepest condolences and sympathy to the 
     families of the victims of this horrific tragedy, and 
     solidarity with the millions of affected Chileans;
       (3) recognizes that Chile is and remains a close ally and 
     friend of the United States;
       (4) recognizes that Chile's embrace of democratic ideals 
     and the Government of Chile's ability to implement strict 
     building standards due to its strong governance structure 
     greatly mitigated the impact of this natural disaster;
       (5) commends the rescue, relief, and recovery actions, 
     still underway, taken by the Government of Chile;
       (6) commends the United States Government, the entire 
     international community, and nongovernmental organizations 
     for their prompt deployment of assistance to Chile;
       (7) urges the President to continue to support the 
     Government of Chile, as it assesses its relief and recovery 
     needs; and
       (8) pays tribute to the resilience, strength, and courage 
     of the people of Chile as they begin the recovery and 
     rebuilding process.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Virginia (Mr. Connolly) and the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-
Lehtinen) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Virginia.


                             General Leave

  Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that 
all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their 
remarks and include extraneous material on the resolution under 
consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Virginia?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of 
this resolution and yield myself as much time as I may consume.
  This resolution, introduced by my good friend and colleague from 
Texas, Ruben Hinojosa, marks the tragedy of a second powerful 
earthquake in as many months to strike a country in the Western 
Hemisphere, this time our close friend and ally Chile.
  On February 27, an 8.8-magnitude tremor struck just 70 miles away 
from Chile's second largest city, Concepcion, and has left a terrible 
toll in its wake. The Chilean people have a long history of resolve in 
the face of past earthquakes. Last month's quake was one of the largest 
ever recorded, and the worst to hit the country since a 1960 
earthquake, the strongest ever measured.
  The tsunami and aftershocks from this quake, one of which measured 
6.3 this past Friday, led to the declaration of a state of catastrophe 
for this economic and political leader in Latin America. The Chilean 
people are now faced with an unprecedented challenge to recover and 
rebuild, and they deserve our support.
  Official casualty estimates number in the hundreds, while another 2 
million people, including as many as 1.5 million displaced persons, 
were directly affected by the temblor and the crashing 19-foot waves 
that soon followed. In addition to the human toll, estimates of the 
cost of physical damage range from $15 to $30 billion, including the 
destruction of entire coastal villages, damages to roads, bridges, 
residences, and other infrastructure.
  The international community rallied behind Chile with financial 
contributions, donations of telecommunications equipment, and offers of 
expert technical help in the immediate aftermath of this 120-second 
quake, which was 500 times more powerful than the 7.0-magnitude tremor 
that hit Haiti just over 6 weeks prior. In this context, it is 
important to highlight Chile's generosity in dispatching some of its 
own outstanding earthquake rescue teams to Haiti in that country's time 
of desperate need just weeks before.
  It is also worth noting that Chile's embrace of good governance, and 
specifically its ability to create, implement, and enforce strict 
building codes played a major role in mitigating the effects of this 
terrible event, which could have had so much more by way of loss of 
lives.
  In spite of this epic natural disaster, the Chilean people and their 
government remain committed to the principles of unity and rebuilding 
their lives and restoring their country. This resolution makes it clear 
that as they go about this critical task, the United States stands with 
them.
  Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this important 
resolution, and reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  I rise today as a proud original cosponsor of the bill before us, 
House Resolution 1144, and join my colleagues in expressing our 
heartfelt sympathy to all of those impacted by the devastating 
earthquake in Chile 2 weeks ago. The strength and the magnitude of this 
quake and its resulting tsunami caused hundreds of lives to be lost and 
left countless survivors homeless.
  As the Government of Chile continues to carry out its immediate 
relief and recovery efforts and complete its damage assessments, we are 
just beginning to get a sense of how much this destruction has brought 
about. Nearly 1.5 million homes are reported to have been damaged, and 
many historic structures collapsed. An estimated 2 million people in 
Chile were displaced by the quake and the subsequent tsunamis that 
swept away entire coastal towns. However, the democratic stability and 
the strong government structures in place prior to the earthquake will 
undoubtedly enable Chile to respond responsibly to this disaster. In 
particular, its commitment to free market principles will allow private 
sector actors to immediately respond to certain damaged sectors such as 
water and sanitation. This will help to minimize the tremendous 
challenges facing the government of Chile in the aftermath of the 
crisis. It will allow domestic and international assistance to go only 
where it is absolutely needed.
  The U.S. Southern Command, SOUTHCOM, based in my home district of 
Miami, Florida, has played a vital role in providing necessary 
assistance to the people of Chile. While we are carrying out important 
relief efforts in Haiti, here the U.S. military has helped to provide 
important satellite communications equipment to the emergency operation 
and response officials in Chile. What an incredible statement that is 
for our wonderful men and women serving our Nation's Armed Forces.
  Our military is also in the process of deploying an Expeditionary 
Medical Support team, EMEDS unit, to help increase crucial medical 
capabilities in that country. And we thank them for their prompt 
action.
  I join my colleagues in expressing our condolences to those impacted 
by this terrible disaster. The United States will continue to stand 
side by side with the people of Chile as they begin to recover.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I thank my good friend and 
colleague from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen), the ranking member of the 
Foreign Affairs Committee.
  I now yield 4 minutes to the chairman of the Higher Education 
Subcommittee, my friend from Texas (Mr. Hinojosa).
  Mr. HINOJOSA. I thank the gentleman from Virginia for yielding time.
  Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 1144. The 
resolution expresses the House of Representatives' condolences for the 
families of the victims of the powerful earthquake in Chile, as well as 
solidarity with and support for the people of Chile.
  Let me first thank Chairman Berman, Subcommittee Chairman Engel, and 
my friend and colleague Ranking Member Ros-Lehtinen for helping bring 
this resolution to the floor. I would also like to thank my colleagues 
in the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, who are unanimously in support of 
H. Res. 1144.

[[Page H1190]]

  Chile and the United States have a long-standing and important 
partnership. It is one of mutual respect and understanding. Both 
countries understand their democratic and economic prosperity are 
aligned, and that we need to work together for our mutual benefit. The 
Congressional Hispanic Caucus has worked to build on this relationship 
by recognizing the rich cultural heritage both nations share.
  As chairman of the CHC's task force on commerce and international 
relations, I am committed to working with my colleagues to strengthen 
our relations with our neighbors in the Western Hemisphere.

                              {time}  1515

  The devastating disaster that has struck Chile is a humanitarian 
imperative requiring immediate action. Millions of families have lost 
their home or been displaced by the gigantic earthquake and the 
following tsunami and strong aftershocks. Hundreds have died and many 
are still missing. Hundreds of thousands of families in Chile remain 
without running water or power.
  The United States has been quick to respond to President Bachelet's 
call for help and is providing much-needed equipment to reestablish 
communication and has deployed two C-130 cargo planes to help transport 
humanitarian cargo. The United States stands ready to provide whatever 
additional aid is necessary to help the victims of this natural 
disaster. We have seen the generosity of the American people during the 
recent disaster in Haiti, and I am confident that spirit of generosity 
will also be extended to the people of Chile.
  In closing, I want to say that the resolution recounts the tragic 
events that have unfolded in Chile so I will not read it again. The 
resolution reaffirms the House of Representatives' commitment to the 
people of Chile to aid in their speedy recovery. We applaud the resolve 
and the resilience of those affected by the earthquake. The people of 
Chile on other occasions have come together to help their friends and 
neighbors rebuild. Today we want to assure them that we will stand by 
their side to help as they recover from this tragedy.
  I urge all of my colleagues to support this important resolution.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, 
and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I want to thank Mr. Hinojosa 
for his leadership on this important resolution, and I thank my 
colleague from Florida.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Connolly) that the House suspend the rules 
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 1144.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I object to the vote on the 
ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a 
quorum is not present.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.
  The point of no quorum is considered withdrawn.

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